KATHARINE McPHEE

Before: GirlieAfter: GlamIt isn’t just her singing that’s giving fans McPheever. Although earlier in the season she “didn’t really wear dresses,” notes wardrobe stylist Miles Siggins, McPhee says she is enjoying her “more feminine, dressed-up” look. And she’s going to great lengths to achieve it. “My favorite new thing is my hair extensions,” she says. “I want to get some really long hair going!”

CHRIS DAUGHTRY

Before: ScruffyAfter: Smooth“He likes to mess with the hair on his face,” says Idol hairstylist Dean Banowetz, who uses HeadBlade’s scalp razor on Daughtry. “I like it full of stubble.” But it’s the shape of his sideburns that gets the most attention. Adds Banowetz: “His ‘S-burn’ is popular with fans.”

TAYLOR HICKS

Before: SloppyAfter: SleekForget who’s going to win. What fans really want to know is will Hicks dye his hair? In early March he said no. But now? “Who knows?” says Hicks. “It could be dyed next week.” One certainty: Hicks will stick with body-conscious clothing. “I’ve shown him the importance of cut,” Siggins says.

PARIS BENNETT

Before: SweetAfter: SultryThe 17-year-old is eager to show maturity in more than just her singing. “You’re gonna see more [skin] show,” she promises. “And I’ll have different hair a lot – I love changing my hair!”

ACE YOUNG

Before: CuteAfter: HeartbreakerAlthough he hasn’t messed much with his signature look of fitted jeans and trendy shirts, Young has added one crucial item to his onstage style handbook: eyeliner. “I put it in the outer corner of his eyes and it makes them pop more,” explains makeup artist Mezhgan.

MANDISA

Before: FrumpyAfter: Fabulous“Girls like me get put in a big old dress,” says Mandisa. “But not this sister! I wanted anything but a muumuu.” Indeed, she had Simon calling her “sexy” in this black dress that “fit me in the right places,” she says – unlike a pair of “very high heels” she tried earlier in the competition. “No more for me!”

ELLIOTT YAMIN

Before: StreetAfter: Suave“Clothing has nothing to do with how I sing,” Yamin insists. And yet he’s not totally immune to image. In addition to trimming his beard and growing out his haircut, Yamin has a makeover re-quest: “If someone would fix my teeth,” he says, “that’d be great.”

KELLIE PICKLER

Before: MousyAfter: MinxOn-air she likened her false eyelashes to “tarantulas,” and added, “They have to hold me in the chair to put them on. I’m afraid they’re going to glue my eyes shut!” Her courage continues to be tested. “We’ve been talking about cutting my hair,” she says. “Part of me wants to do it, but part of me says no.”